Large Gray Snapper on the bay
Capt. Bob Smith
June 15, 2009
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
The weather had been what I call, a little squirrelly but now has smoothed out. A light east wind in the morning will make it a lot easier to spot the tarpon schools running the beaches.
This has been an excellent year on the bay for gray snapper. The average size is about 14" and a few have been up to 16 and 18 inches. They like to hang out around docks, rocks and bridge fenders. I have found the New Pass Bridge very productive for the larger snappers. They move around in schools close to the bottom and love live shrimp drifted past them. If you hook one, you should get more in the same spot however, they will move around. I like to let my bait drift past the spot with only a quarter ounce split shot attached just above the hook. I fish my line loose so that it will drop. Then I watch the line closely for any subtle pickup. You could get a snag but my motto is, "Treat all snags like fish and you lose nothing. Treat a fish like snag and you could loose a good fish."
We are also getting Spanish mackerel, large jacks and occasional tarpon around the bridge. Snook and redfish can be found around some of the docks this time of year. Snook are also being caught in the surf and are best at first and last light.
Most of the grass-flats around the bay are producing some nice seatrout and it is not hard to get a mixed bag of fish. We have also caught pompano, flounder, mackerel, bluefish and many more different kinds of fish on the grass-flats. I like to use the 3" DOA shrimp with a popping float or on a free line. Work this lure slow if at all. Sometime just a few pops of the line is all it takes. The fish actually eat this lure, so give them time. They very seldom drop it and run away, maybe when a bigger fish is looking at them.
Enjoy & Protect
Target Species:
Snapper and Trout
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